Need help with stringing inconsistencies/questions!

I've been string for the better part of a year now, and a little while ago I bought the alpha pioneer dc plus. However, ever since I got it, I've always had a issue with the main arm sliding. There are a few questions about the movement and holding of the racquet frame that I have. When I have to set the main arms, with the knobs on the bottom I notice that if I tighten them by hand and then go about my stringing, when I'm doing tension, the whole arm actually slides slightly. So I tighten using a wrench, and it doesn't move anymore, but it annoys me because it's damaging the knobs and eating the plastic each time. Why is it doing this?

The next thing is, I always try to string crosses top to bottom on any frame. However, when I'm doing crosses(I never really notice this while doing mains.) the knobs that help control the 12oclock and 6oclock arms to hold the racquet loosen over time, and I have to keep retightening as I go about stringing. Why do I have to keep retightening them?

Another question is also about doing crosses. There are four arms which help hold the racquet in place at the 7-8oclock/10-11oclock and 1-2oclock/4-5oclock positions, and (like it says in the dvd) you're only supposed to get them touching the frame but not tighten them. When I'm doing crosses, since the racquet is becoming loose-ish I notice it starts indenting the frames because the arms are cutting into it. Why is this happening? The racquet is properly mounted but all this happens throughout stringing the racquet.

Any help is greatly appreciated! Hopefully I described everything accurately.

I am at a loss here as I don't really know what's happening. I think maybe your top and bottom standards may be dirty where they meet the turntable. Can you take them off and clean them to make sure there is no residue on them. I think your best bet would be to call Alpha and talk to them. Was this a used or new machine when you bought it?

You need to think about how the force is being applied when you're stringing.

We start with the mains. All the tension is being pulled across one plane. If you tried to string the mains without mounting the racquet, what would happen? The racquet head would distort so that:

a.) it becomes shorter, and
b.) it becomes wider

In a 6-point mounting system, the supports at 6 and 12 are inside the racquet to prevent a.), whilst the arm supports are outside the racquet to prevent b.).

When you mount the racquet, you'll have the supports 'snug' - not tight, not loose. When you string the mains, pressure will build against the supports, so that once they are done the racquet is under the greatest strain. If you were to look at the supports at this point, you'll find them tight rather than snug because of all that force being placed upon them.

As you string the crosses, you're redistributing tension on the frame, to the point that when you finish the racquet head should be the same shape it was when you started. The more crosses you pull, the less pressure is being applied to the mounts. This is why they appear to loosen.

The problems you describe are that:

i.) the supports are 6 and 12 are becoming loose as you string the crosses, and
ii.) the supports on the arms are indenting the frame.

This suggests that the supports at 6 and 12 aren't being tightened quite enough when you mount the frame, resulting in more pressure being placed on the arm supports. This could also happen if your towers are at all loose, so it would be worth checking those.

If you haven't already, check out YULitle's video on mounting a racquet:

^^Dags I think you are missing the point. When the racket is mounted the placement of the outer arm and top and bottom standards should never change. Wen stringing the main and crosses you racket is going to be distorted there is nothing you can do about that. When the OP says the main arm is sliding I think he is saying the standard(s) is/are sliding together on the turntable. When that happens the racket will become shorter and wider and the side supports are all out of adjustment because the side supports are slinding down/up the outside of the racket as the standards move in because the side supports are connected to the standards. When adjusting the top and bottom supports they should just be touching but the tightening of the standard against the turntable should be tight enough they never slide.

^^Dags I think you are missing the point. When the racket is mounted the placement of the outer arm and top and bottom standards should never change. Wen stringing the main and crosses you racket is going to be distorted there is nothing you can do about that. When the OP says the main arm is sliding I think he is saying the standard(s) is/are sliding together on the turntable. When that happens the racket will become shorter and wider and the side supports are all out of adjustment because the side supports are slinding down/up the outside of the racket as the standards move in because the side supports are connected to the standards. When adjusting the top and bottom supports they should just be touching but the tightening of the standard against the turntable should be tight enough they never slide.

Click to expand...

EDIT: I would call Alpha and work out the problem if I couldn't fix it myself.

I too have an alpha pioneer dc plus. The towers sliding is a known problem, and sadly, quite common. Regular posters will chime in on their unique solution, but I just put a piece of old leather between the towers and the base, tighten the knobs, and problem solved.

As for mounting, I just make them snug in the beginning. When I pull mains, the racquet gets shorter and I notice a little slack in the top and bottom mounts, but that's no problem. When I pull crosses, the racquet gets back into shape. I once tried tightening the mounts to take up the slack but when I pulled the cross, the racquet stretched so hard against the mounts that it developed a hairline crack (maybe just the paint). So I don't mess with the mounts anymore while stringing.

I too have an alpha pioneer dc plus. The towers sliding is a known problem, and sadly, quite common. Regular posters will chime in on their unique solution, but I just put a piece of old leather between the towers and the base, tighten the knobs, and problem solved.

As for mounting, I just make them snug in the beginning. When I pull mains, the racquet gets shorter and I notice a little slack in the top and bottom mounts, but that's no problem. When I pull crosses, the racquet gets back into shape. I once tried tightening the mounts to take up the slack but when I pulled the cross, the racquet stretched so hard against the mounts that it developed a hairline crack (maybe just the paint). So I don't mess with the mounts anymore while stringing.

Click to expand...

That sucks to hear that it's a common problem. I've been retightening the mounts at the 6 and 12 oclock position because I figure if it gets loose it will cause deformity in the racquet head. I guess I shouldn't correct it anymore. I just didn't want the racquet to become loose and then the tension pulling cause the frame to deform. What type of leather did you use? I don't think I have any handy so I might have to buy a piece from somewhere. Thanks for your input.

I have worked around several of these dropweight stringers and all have been good, quality stringers without this issue.

I believe these stringers have a powder coat paint finish which is durable and smooth - that is the good and the bad, as the bottom of the tower and the bottom of the table rail are coated as well, I think. Make sure the rail surface at the table underside and the bottom of the towers have the painted surface removed (no metal removal). Also, use a heavy fender washer (~5/16" ID/1-1/8" OD) on the adjusting knob screw (8mm?) to better distribute the force. I would, also, add an external star tooth washer to help lock down the system. Clean these surfaces as you would clean your clamps and the tower slippage issue is no more!